Artist: The Pomps
Song: “Grudges”
Album: Bottom of the Pomps
Label: Bad Time Records
Genre: Ska, Ska-Punk, Pop-Punk
Boston-based The Pomps first poked their heads out in 2013, releasing a mini-LP, before the members got drawn back into their other bands (Big D and the Kids Table, Have Nots, Stray Bullets, Westbound Train), having families and that whole pandemic thing. Despite the long silence, the band manages to come back together to finally release their first proper LP. It took ten years, but it was worth the wait. Just listen to the excellent track “Grudges” to hear a band writing from a place of maturity and inspiration.
“Well I know people defined by their grudges, defined by their anger, defined by their judgements. Defined by the need for success, but they can’t get the record to press” is only a line that could be sung by someone who has actually lived, and seen the better way to be from the other side of youth. And it’s sung with such a sweet, soulful tenor it’s hard not to let it win you over. And while there’s still plenty of guitar up-strokes here, the band adds in a rollicking barroom piano instead of horns, as if they were filtering the British two-tone movement through 70’s American bar rock. And it works beautifully.
Check out this fantastic track in our Check This 2023 Playlist on Spotify or Apple Music!
The Indy Review 